Aerial antennas on vehicles are used to perform various functions. High-density antennas have been used in applications requiring transmission and receipt of shortwave or high frequency signals, such as, for example, shortwave, radio, or radio-based global positioning system (GPS) applications. Such signals require antennas that include more than one conductor extending parallel to one another along the aerial portion of the antenna. The conductors in such antennas are typically bunched together along a main body or shaft of the antenna, and are covered in a flexible material that can conduct signals, such as rubber, for protection from corrosion.
In some applications, machines may operate in locations where the antenna may encounter objects from the environment of the machine, for example, tree branches, which may damage the antenna. Past attempts to mitigate the effects of such environmental issues have included shortening the length of the antenna, positioning the antenna in a location of the machine that is not prone to damage from surrounding objects, or bending the antenna such that it does not protrude from the machine. These and other measures, however, are not completely effective because they tend to reduce the sensitivity of the antenna and, thus, the functional range of the machine.